Kyle Nabilcy
It’s not on the level of the New England IPA, but I’m seeing a mini-trend that I don’t think I ever would have predicted: the coconut IPA. I say mini-trend because the rule of thumb is that two occurrences doesn’t make a pattern, but with Central Waters releasing Caught in the Rain and Dogfish Head dropping Lupa Luau earlier this summer, that feels trendish.
And when you broaden your focus to mangoes, which are having a bit of a moment this summer, too, it’s feeling mighty tropical up in here.
I have a theory about the mangoes, which have popped up in 3 Sheeps Mangoes on My Mind, Tyranena Brewers Gone Wild!: Steve Doesn’t Use a Rearview Mirror Mango IPA (try tweeting your tasting notes to that one, it’s half your character allotment), MobCraft Man-Go Away!, Mikkeller Mango Hallo Ich Bin Berliner Weisse, and down in Chicago, a really excellent session IPA from Pipeworks, called Mango Guppy.
My mango theory is that they’re a handy replacement fruit for peaches, which are in the midst of a southern US harvest year that is, according to an expert quoted in the New York Times, “just really, really bad. Historically bad.” That’s bad.
Mangoes, on the other hand, appear to have had a pretty good spring compared to the same time last year, at least according to mango.com (PDF), which feels like it has to be as much an authority on mangoes as there could possibly be.
Caught in the Rain from Central Waters is particularly interesting to me because it’s essentially replacing Headless Heron, a bourbon barrel-aged pumpkin spice ale that people actually like to like, as opposed to like to hate, or even hate to like.
For Central Waters, famous nationwide for its barrel-aging program, to drop a well-received barrel-aged beer from its lineup in favor of an adjunct IPA like Caught in the Rain is a noteworthy change. Central Waters’ Ryan Findlay told me it came down to a perception of market fatigue for pumpkin beers.
Or maybe it says that tropical adjunct IPAs are super cool right now, like some highly influential trendwatchers are reporting, I hear. Caught in the Rain has been available for a week or so at the Central Waters taproom, but it made its initial appearance on Madison shelves within the last few days.
If you haven’t been earwormed by my repeated use of the name Caught in the Rain, the beer is a reference to both piña coladas and the pop song that celebrates them. Coconut and pineapple are added to an IPA made with Citra and Amarillo hops; if this was Evil Twin or Omnipollo, there would be lactose, too, and I’m thankful for Central Waters’ restraint.
The pineapple is subtle, like actual pineapple rather than artificial pineapple candy flavor. Where the piña colada really comes in is with a serious wallop of coconutty sweetness. It’s fascinating how quickly these flavors flash off as the beer breathes and warms, though, so don’t nurse your Caught in the Rain if you can help it.
This is as good a time as any to remind you that you can keep up with all my microcommentary on the beers I’m drinking over at Untappd, where I promise I try to make my checkins worth reading. I should have something up on the aforementioned Dogfish Head Lupa Luau IPA (and probably 3 Sheeps Mangoes on My Mind, too) later this week.
And speaking of rainy weather, this is Great Taste Week, which culminates in the big event at Olin Park. It might be a touch drizzly, so plan ahead. Actually, you’ll be drinking great beer in summer temperatures with friends around you, the Madison skyline across the lake, and carnival tents overhead. Just go ahead and have fun. Get caught in the rain.
